Statistical machines



Jufiy 3, 1956 w. E. JOHNSON STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed July 50, 1953 Invenior ML mu 50mm Jwmsw Attorney rates STATISTIICAL MACHDJES Application July as, 1953, stun No. 371,346

tClaims priority, application Great Britain September 29, 1952 3 Claims. (Cl. 271-37) This invention relates to statistical machines and in particular to apparatus for delivering record cards from such a machine.

In statistical machines for sorting statistical record cards, or otherwise operating under the control of such cards, the cards as they issue from the machine are usually fed to the position of delivery by a pair of rotatable feeding rollers which co-operate to move a card into engagement with a deflector arranged to direct the leading edge of the card downwards towards a support therefor, the support being spring-urged towards the deflector and movable away therefrom under the weight of cards delivered thereto, and a stop is provided against which the leading edge of a card impinges to arrest the forward movement of the card.

in all such machines, as is well understood in the art, the cards are delivered from the machine in an order or sequence which it is desired to maintain but when, as in sorting machines, and some other forms of statistical machines, the cards are delivered in succession at a high rate it has been found that cards have a tendency, on impinging against the stop, to bounce backwards from the stop and, due to the high rate of card delivery, it some times happens that cards become interleaved and are thus not stacked on the support in the desired order 01' sequence.

Further, it is found that in some machines the cards during their passage through the machine acquire static electricity which sometimes causes them to stick to the feeding rollers which should deliver them on to the sup port and this may cause card jamming or mat-delivery.

it is one object of the present invention to provide apparatus for delivering record cards from a statistical machine in a manner such that the movement of a card issuing from the feeding rollers is controlled up to the instant of engagement of the leading edge of the card with the stop.

it is a further object of the invention to provide that in addition to the control just mentioned the card is further controlled until the delivery of the next card from the feeding rollers.

According to the present invention there is. provided apparatus for delivering record cards from a statistical machine and including a pair of rotatable feed rollers cooperating to move a card into engagement with a deflector arranged to direct the leading end of the card downwards towards a support therefor, the support being springurged towards the deflector and on receipt of a card thereon being movable away from the deflector by a distance equal to the thickness of the card, and a stop engageable by the leading edges of the card to align it relative to the support, characterised in that a card-controlling element is disposed between the feed rollers and the stop to engage a card issuing from between the feed rollers positively to move the leading edge thereof into engagement with the stop and to restrain the card against movement thereof away from the stop and support.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the card Fa -tented July 3, 1956 controlling-element comprises a continuously rotatable roller and if desired, the roller may be rotated by cooperation with one roller of a pair of feed rollers succeeding the pair by which the card is moved into engagement with the deflector.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood two embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates apparatus according to the invention as applied to a sorting machine for statistical record cards, and

Fig. 2 illustrates apparatus according to the invention as applied to a record card controlled statistical machine from which all cards issue into a single receiver.

In the drawings similar reference numerals indicate like or similar parts.

Referring to Fig. 1, pairs of rotatable rollers ll, 2 cooperate to move record cards into engagement with deflectors 3, only one of which is shown, arranged to direct the leading end of a card downwards towards a support 4 carried on an axially movable stem 5, the support bcin g urged towards the deflector by a spring s.

As mentioned above, the embodiment of the invention now being described is applied to a card sorting machine and, as is well understood in the art, such machines comprise a plurality of card receivers to which cards are delivered at a high rate. Each receiver, as is customary, has a support t and deflector 3 the latter being controlled by card sensing apparatus, not shown, through timing mechanism forming no part of the present inven tion, so that the appropriate one of the deflectors 3 is, at the appropriate time, moved so that the downwardly inclined portion thereof is interposed into the card path so that a card is engaged thereby and is directed downwards towards the support 4. As is well understood the deflectors preceding and succeeding that which is interposed in the manner just mentioned are so disposed that a card passing from the sensing apparatus is fed by the feed rollers over the horizontal portions of the deflectors preceding that having its downwardly inclined portion interposed into the path of the card.

In the apparatus illustrated in Fig. l the upper feed rollers l are positively rotated by any suitable means, not shown, and the lower rollers 2 are rotated by frictional engagement between the peripheries thereof and the peripheries of the upper rollers l which latter preferably are fitted with rubber tyres.

(Do-operating with each support 4, as is customary is a stop plate '7 which is to be engaged by the leading edge of a card to align the card relative to the support dwhich is inclined downwards towards the stop. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the downwardly inclined portion of the defiector 3 is provided with a forked end 8 which supports a spindle 9 about which a roller lltl having a continuous peripheral surface concentric with its axis is freely rotatable. The roller 10, is, as can be seen from Fig. l, disposed between the right-hand pair of feed rollers l, 2 which co-operate with the deflector 3 to deliver a card on to the support 4, and the stop plate '7 and forms a card-controlling element arranged to engage a card issuing from between the said right-hand pair of rollers i, 2 positively to move the leading edge of the card into engagement with the stop 7. This is effected by reason of the spring 6, through the support 4 and any cards supported thereby, pressing the roller ill against the roller 2 of the pair at the left as viewed in Fig. 1 so that the roller 10 is rotated by frictional engagement with the said lefthand roller 2. The position of roller 1'0 is such that a card issuing from the right-hand pair of rollers l, 2 is engaged by the roller 10 which presses it against the support, or against the top card of the support, and the forwardly moving card is moved positively by the roller until its leading edge is arrested by the stop 7. Since the roller 10 maintains its engagement with the card until the next card is delivered by the feed rollers the first card is retained by the roller 10 against stop'7 and is restrained from rebounding therefrom and, as the card is pressed downwards by the roller 10 the next card must be delivered on top of it.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 cards are delivered in succession from the last set of pairs of feed rollers 1, 2 on to a support 4 carried on a carriage 11 provided with upper rollers 12 and lower rollers 13 which engage rails 14, one at each end of the carriage, whereby the support is guided for vertical move ment. The support is urged towards a deflector 3 by springs 6 and a fixed stop plate 7 is provided for engage ment by the leading edge of the card being positioned on the support.

A pair of rollers 10, only one of which is shown in the drawing, are spaced apart along the axis of the spindle 9 which in this instance is supported for rotation in brackets 15 secured to the frames 16 of the machine, the rollers 10 being secured to the spindle 9 for rotation therewith. In this embodiment of the invention the lower rollers 2 of the pairs of feed rollers are those which are positively driven from the main drive of the machine, the rollers 1 being frictionally rotated by the rollers 2. The spindle 9 has pulleys, not shown, secured thereto and belts 17 connect these pulleys with other pulleys secured to the shaft to which the rollers 2 of the last set thereof are secured.

From Fig. 2 it will be seen that, as was the case with the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, the roller 10 is disposed between the feed rollers and the stop and, in the manner described above, positively moves a card against the stop, retains it in engagement therewith, and serves to prevent rebounding of the card away from the stop. Apparatus as shown in the drawing is designed to avoid difiiculties which may arise if the cards, due to their having acquired a charge of static electricity during their passage through the machine, have a tendency to adhere to the last pair of feed rollers. Thus, as described above, the rollers 10 are so disposed between the stop 7 and the last pair of feed rollers 1, 2 as to engage a card issuing from the feed rollers and draw it therefrom thereby to ensure that the cards are delivered one on the other in the order in which they are received by the last pair of feed rollers for delivery on to the support 4.

1 claim:

1. Apparatus for delivering record cards from a statistical machine at high speed, comprising a support to receive the cards, a deflector arranged to direct the leading end of a card downwards towards the support, a spring urging the support towards the deflector, a pair of rotatable feed rollers co-operating to move a card towards said deflector for movement towards the support, a stop engageable by the leading edge of the card to align it relative t0 the support, and a rotatable element disposed between the feed rollers and stop to engage a card delivered from the rollers and to press the card against said support, characterised in that the rotary element comprises a continuously rotatable roller located in advance of the feed rollers a distance less than the length of a card and having a continuous peripheral surface concentric with its axis of rotation and mounted in driven relationship with the feed rollers to be driven at the same peripheral speed as that of the feed rollers and so disposed relatively to said feed rollers, said stop, and said support or to the uppermost card on the support as to engage a card issuing from the feed rollers but with the trailing edge of said card still being engaged by the delivery rolls and thereafter maintain continuous engagement with the card until it engages the next card issuing from the feed rollers thereby positively to move the leading edge of each card into engagement with said stop and restrain it against movement away from the stop and the support.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said continuously rotatable roller is rotated by co-operation with one roller of a pair of feed rollers succeeding the pair by which the card is moved into engagement with the deflector.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, including supporting means carried by said deflector to support said continously rotatable roller for rotation by frictional engagement with one feed roller of said succeeding pair of feed rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,287,142 Trew Dec. 10, 1918 1,333,193 Trew Mar. 9, 1920 1,375,241 Trew Apr. 19, 1921 1,485,861 Lasker Mar. 4, 1924 1,717,858 Thomas June 18, 1929 2,540,971 Wagner Feb. 6, 1951 

